Have you ever asked questions like these: Why is the one liter Aquafina
water bottle sold for 20 rupees while the company is provided with the local
water supply? Why do the brand names of some goods, like Rasna, remain the name of the item itself? Why the Hindu newspaper is sold for six rupees and Dhinakaran for just five rupees while the cost of printing is very
high? When we analyse these questions we can find the thread that connects
these beads of questions. Guess what? It is the advertisement.
Advertisement is an important form of communication.
Practically, we cannot find any field without any advertisement. To give an
interesting example, there is a regular TV programme by a gospel preacher who
at the end of every episode gives an advertisement this way: “Like the five
loaves of bread you can send your contribution of Rs. 50/-, 500/-, or 5000/- or
like the two fish you can send Rs. 20/-, 200/- or 2000/-
Well, advertisement plays a crucial role in our
living as it decides various traits of human living. From the perspective of
the audience, the would-be consumers, advertising becomes a stimulus that plays
with the emotions of the people in every walks of life. The advertisers make
people comfortable by connecting their beliefs, actions, attitudes, etc. to the
projected concepts of the company. They use ‘balance theory’. At first, they
knock the consumer off the balance and they urge that the balance is restored
when the consumer purchases the goods advertised. Some of the advertisements on
toothpaste and cosmetics can be tangible evidence for this claim. The consumers become
victims of these projections by falling prey to their ideologies. For example,
in order to increase the production of the fairness cream, fair complexion is
exalted and consequently, this ruffles a few feathers in the mindset of the men
with dark complexion by giving them low self-esteem. Paying heed to the call to
be Fair and Handsome, no man, I am
sure, would have read about the ingredients and other details of the cosmetics
but hurries in buying. Consuming soft beverages like Coke and Pepsi has become
a fashion or an elite trend; but how many of the consumers know about the
preservatives in such drinks which could be as harmful as pesticides!
The recent trend in India now is to look for herbal
products; we find this craving expressed in the advertisements of health drinks
to contraceptives. It is better to go for herbal products but do we have
sufficient cognizance about the information given in the advertisement.
Every advertisement has a dual purpose: to give
proper information to the public and to enhance the production. On the
contrary, the former purpose is hidden and the latter interest is given importance
in various instances. The true facts are hidden by the shadows of these
projection of the advertisement. It is evident from many offer or attractive
advertisements that always have *this
symbol which hides so many information under the title – ‘conditions apply’.
To put it succinctly, the truth of the commodity is
hidden under the shadows of the projection of the advertisements. It is the
onus of every responsible citizen to move beyond these projected shadows
created by the avalanche of advertisements and find the truth for the
betterment of the society.